Covid update from the UK frontline.
Things are looking different at the “front door”
Here’s how…
Things are looking different at the “front door”
Here’s how…
Context:
▪️Scotland
▪️Non-city
▪️High vax rate + high booster rate
▪️Respectful people: masks, distancing, isolating when needed.
▪️Care homes still protected
▪️Scotland
▪️Non-city
▪️High vax rate + high booster rate
▪️Respectful people: masks, distancing, isolating when needed.
▪️Care homes still protected
I compare this wave with the last delta wave July ‘21 to Nov ‘21 - so called, Delta baseline.
Just my experience of the patients I see.
Our rates have been about 3 X higher than our delta baseline.
Just my experience of the patients I see.
Our rates have been about 3 X higher than our delta baseline.
With Omicron:
Assessments have gone up…A&E contacts up…
Medical contacts up…
Inpatients down..
Level 2 care down.
Length of stay pretty much unchanged (reduced when including HDU patients).
Assessments have gone up…A&E contacts up…
Medical contacts up…
Inpatients down..
Level 2 care down.
Length of stay pretty much unchanged (reduced when including HDU patients).
Overall burden to the team is higher. More Covid activity.
Level of severity seems significantly lower.
Incidental (with) Covid are minimal (<20%).
Hospital spread minimal.
Level of severity seems significantly lower.
Incidental (with) Covid are minimal (<20%).
Hospital spread minimal.
Staff absences are a problem! Most off for actual Covid. Most picked up in community. Xmas and New Year = wave of staff absences. And despite a high boost rate, there is significant illness in quite a lot of staff + delayed recoveries. Stretched thin!
Impression
Despite our rates being lower than most places, the impact of the surge in cases has had a significant effect on workload and other services. Never before have I experienced a winter like this.
Despite our rates being lower than most places, the impact of the surge in cases has had a significant effect on workload and other services. Never before have I experienced a winter like this.
Severity.
The biggest stepwise difference in case severity rates I experienced came following vaccination programs after January ‘21.
This feels like another stepwise fall. Also, I haven’t seen as many immunosuppressed (eg chemo) patients with severe Covid as before.
The biggest stepwise difference in case severity rates I experienced came following vaccination programs after January ‘21.
This feels like another stepwise fall. Also, I haven’t seen as many immunosuppressed (eg chemo) patients with severe Covid as before.
Other services.
The reduced case severity rates if at previous case rates would have provided some capacity to resume other services, to some degree. But the sudden surge in cases has put us even further back now.
The reduced case severity rates if at previous case rates would have provided some capacity to resume other services, to some degree. But the sudden surge in cases has put us even further back now.
Individuals.
At an individual level there is reason to be optimistic. This wave seems less severe (if vaccinated) and the difference seems significant.
I cannot reassure about Long Covid.
And another variant is likely to come.
At an individual level there is reason to be optimistic. This wave seems less severe (if vaccinated) and the difference seems significant.
I cannot reassure about Long Covid.
And another variant is likely to come.
I leave you with my suggestions from last year…to get on with life as best you can while staying safe and healthy…
https://twitter.com/danielgoyal/status/1467065405709639680
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